The Influence of The Influence of Environmental Contamination Environmental Contamination on Riparian Bird Populations on Riparian Bird Populations at Tumacacori National at Tumacacori National Historical Park Historical Park Dominic LaRoche, Courtney J. Conway, Dominic LaRoche, Courtney J. Conway, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Gabrielle Robinson Chris Kirkpatrick, and Gabrielle Robinson School of Natural Resources, School of Natural Resources, Univ. of Arizona Univ. of Arizona
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The Influence of Environmental Contamination on Riparian Bird Populations at Tumacacori National Historical Park Dominic LaRoche, Courtney J. Conway, Chris.
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The Influence of Environmental The Influence of Environmental Contamination on Riparian Bird Contamination on Riparian Bird
Populations at Tumacacori National Populations at Tumacacori National Historical ParkHistorical Park
Dominic LaRoche, Courtney J. Conway, Dominic LaRoche, Courtney J. Conway,
Chris Kirkpatrick, and Gabrielle Robinson Chris Kirkpatrick, and Gabrielle Robinson School of Natural Resources, Univ. of Arizona School of Natural Resources, Univ. of Arizona
Cover <1% of the State’s landmass Cover <1% of the State’s landmass
Support >50% of breeding bird species, Support >50% of breeding bird species, including birds of conservation concernincluding birds of conservation concern
Provide critical stopover habitat for Provide critical stopover habitat for numerous species of long-distance migratory numerous species of long-distance migratory birdsbirds
Increasing demand for Increasing demand for limited water resourceslimited water resources
in Arizonain Arizona
Population growthPopulation growthContinued droughtContinued drought
Climate changeClimate change
Effluent from wastewater treatment Effluent from wastewater treatment plants can provide a novel solution to plants can provide a novel solution to diminishing water resourcesdiminishing water resources
The Santa Cruz River at Tumacacori The Santa Cruz River at Tumacacori National Historic Park with surface water National Historic Park with surface water flow restored by the Nogales International flow restored by the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment PlantWastewater Treatment Plant
A Potential Problem?
Since 1997, researchers have monitored bird populations at Tumacacori National Historic Park through the MAPS program
• Signs of physical abnormalities or disease:
– lesions around eyes/bills– lesions on legs/feet– subcutaneous tumors – bill deformities
Virtually no similar problems at a nearby MAPS station
Photo: Larry Norris (NPS)
A Potential Problem?
Possible explanations for observed abnormalities:
• Birds infected with avian pox?
• Birds negatively affected by environmental contaminants?
• Interaction between environmental contaminants and disease?
Project Objectives
At both Tumacacori NHP and a control site at Cienega Creek:
• Quantify prevalence of physical abnormalities or disease in adult and nestling birds
• Measure avian reproductive parameters
• Identify underlying causes of any observed abnormalities or disease
Study Sites
Cienega Creek
Tumacacori NHP
Tuma Site
Santa Cruz River
nest-monitoring plot (~150 x
800 m)
MAPS station
Park Park HeadquartersHeadquarters
Methods
• Nest Monitoring– Measure reproductive parameters– Conduct physical examination of nestlings– Collect tissue samples at nests
• Adult Birds– Collect tissue samples from adult birds– Conduct physical examinations on adult birds
• 2008 Located and monitored nest of all riparian bird species at both study sites
• 2009 Only located and monitored nests of 5 focal species:
• Collected infertile egg and nestling feather samples
Adult Birds
Worked with MAPS researchers at Tumacacori and target netted at both sites:
• Conducted physical examinations• Collected blood and feather samples• Collected skin scrapings from pox-like lesions
Blood and Feather Analysis
• Collected 102 blood samples and >300 feather samples• Analyzed 29 blood and feather samples for metal
concentrations at Trace Elements Research Laboratory (TERL; College Station, Texas)– Only tested feathers for Hg (Direct Hg Analysis)– Tested blood for AS, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Se, Pb, and Zn